


We're The Fortunate Only

by allisonmartined



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-01
Updated: 2011-05-01
Packaged: 2017-10-18 20:43:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/193101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allisonmartined/pseuds/allisonmartined
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. Morgana is put into Gaius' care during her childhood. Merlin and Morgana study magic together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We're The Fortunate Only

Morgana was used to the way Gaius shuffled around, pacing back and forth, while she pinched the bridge of her nose and desperately tried to read the text in front of her. If Gaius wasn’t so terribly distracted, he’d be exasperated with her. He’d be saying “ _Morgana_ ” in that tone of voice that really meant _it’s not really that difficult_ and then she would smugly blow up a vile of something or the other with her mind. And he would grumble something about natural talents being wasted and how _learning_ was just as if not _more_ important.

They had had the same routine for over ten years. When her father had entrusted her into the care of Uther, he had also secretly entrusted her into the care of Gaius to nurture the gifts that she had inherited from her mother. And Gaius was wonderful, he was. But Morgana liked to do and live and march right up to things. It’s not that Morgana didn’t like books, she loved them. But there was just _so much_ to do. There were people to save and destinies to be planned.

Merlin arrived in Camelot on an execution day. On a day when no one could be saved. Not the friendliest of welcomes, but a truthful one, Morgana reasoned. He was all pale skin and dark hair and he felt _familiar. It’s the magic,_ something hummed in her veins. He smiled at her, the smallest of smiles, and all she could feel was the humming, a charge flowing through her blood and muscles and skin. This boy was different.

Morgana was never very good at spells, but Merlin was _excellent_.

He was whispering the words to a spell, his voice barely audible. She was staring at him through her eyelashes, trying to memorize the way his mouth moved as the familiar foreign words escaped his lips. His eyes caught hers and she swore she saw fire in the golden depths.

Morgana was fantastic at the more physical things.

Like making things explode, she did that quite often (much to Gaius' disappointment). Gaius said it was something to do with personality. Morgana had always been more volatile while Merlin was patient and kind and wise in a way that didn’t quite make sense when you compared it to the rest of his terribly foolish personality.

And then there was the dragon.

The whole dragon thing _was not fair_ , in Morgana’s opinion. Merlin, because he was a Dragon Lord, could talk to and control the Great Dragon. But not Morgana.

“He says you’re destined to be Camelot’s downfall,” Merlin told her not quite seriously, but serious enough. “Oh, really,” she had laughed.

 

But sometimes at night when the world is completely silent the thought still terrifies her.

***

Magic is like fire in her veins. Sometimes she has to walk through the forest, touch the trees, sift the cold dirt to sooth the fire. _The Old Religion is connected to nature,_ Gaius had told her once. And she can feel it here, in the greenest parts.

 

She smiles easier on the days she knows no harm is meant to come to Arthur or Merlin. On the days where Arthur and Merlin spar on the grass. On those days the world feels right. On those days no one is dying and she can breathe.

She feels like the dreams dictate who she is sometimes. They scream and plea at her and the fear consumes her completely. It is only Merlin’s soothing hum that gives her rest.

The future is always changing. Some days she burns Camelot to ash, some days it is Merlin who does the burning, but most days the future is blurred with no definite outcome. Sometimes those days scare her the most.


End file.
